Purvis Young has substituted a lack of formal education with intensive reading and study and is sophisticated about the history of art. He applies his personal world view to the medium of paint to create a visual language that expresses his concerns as much as it captures the life of the people and city that surround him.

After learning of the "Freedom Walls" created by artists in Detroit and Chicago, Young decided in 1972, to create his own public mural at the intersection of Northwest Third Avenue an 14th Street in Overtown, Miami's inner-city coined "Good Bread Alley." The installation was visible from the newly constructed Interstate 95, which had all but dissected and consequently isolated his community from the rest of South Florida.

Representing Young's unique view on life is a symbolic vocabulary where city street scenes move to the rhythm of life, wild horses roam free, "eyes of establishment" loom over, ancient warriors do battle, immigrant-laden boats set sail, legendary jazz and blues performers rip. It is here that Purvis Young easily, yet effectively, expresses his true feelings.